From left, Jill Biden, Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins, Vice President Joe Biden and Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price walked from Air Force Two to greet President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama as they arrived on Air Force One at Dallas Love Field Airport on Tuesday,. The officials were in Dallas for a memorial service. Ashley LandisThe Dallas Morning News

From left, Jill Biden, Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins, Vice President Joe Biden and Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price walked from Air Force Two to greet President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama as they arrived on Air Force One at Dallas Love Field Airport on Tuesday,. The officials were in Dallas for a memorial service. Ashley LandisThe Dallas Morning News

Mayor Price, local officials take part in Dallas memorial service

It’s no secret that Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price and Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings have a strong working relationship and friendship.

So it is not surprising that Rawlings asked Price to help greet President Barack Obama, first lady Michelle Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, and his wife, Jill, at Dallas Love Field last week when they arrived to attend the memorial service for five officers killed in an ambush in downtown Dallas.

Price said she was deeply honored he asked. Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins greeted the president and vice president alongside her.

Biden, she said, told her after she introduced herself, “I know who you are. It’s good to see you again,” and commented on what a difficult time it was for the communities. Biden even held her hand walking across the tarmac to greet the Obamas.

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This was Veasey’s first time to fly on Air Force One, and he and the other congressional members sat together on the flight, talking about two-thirds of the time and reading the rest of the time.

The president did briefly come out to talk to them but spent much of the trip privately focusing on the speech he prepared for the Dallas memorial.

“It was an honor to be asked to fly on Air Force One,” Veasey said. “But I kept thinking about the men who lost their lives.”

GOP support

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, is at the GOP convention in Cleveland and supports presumptive nominee Donald Trump even though, as he told reporters recently, “He wasn’t my first choice.”

In a recent conference call with Texas reporters, Cornyn let slip that he didn’t vote for Trump in the primary.

It’s a pretty safe bet he didn’t vote for U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, either, since he pointedly refused to endorse him during the primary, saying he would stay neutral. (Cruz didn't endorse Cornyn for Senate re-election in 2014.)

So, whom did Cornyn vote for? He would only repeat that Trump “wasn’t my first choice. I’ll leave it at that.” Hmmmm.

Sister Cities celebrate 60th

It’s the 60th anniversary of the Sister Cities program, and Fort Worth, which has participated since 1986, joined in the Washington, D.C., festivities Wednesday-Saturday.

Mae Ferguson, president and chief executive officer of Fort Worth Sister Cities International, was in Washington to celebrate the program, which began with an opening reception at the Japanese ambassador’s residence and included a parade of flags at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. Fort Worth has eight sister cities that engage in “citizen diplomacy” for cultural, academic and economic exchanges: Reggio Emilia, Italy; Trier, Germany; Nagaoka, Japan; Bandung, Indonesia; Budapest, Hungary; Toluca, Mexico; Mbabane, Swaziland and Guiyang, China.

Poe makes announcement

U.S. Rep. Ted Poe, R-Humble, announced on social media that he has leukemia and will be focusing on his health during the congressional break.

And that’s just the way it is.

U.S. Rep. Ted Poe, R-Humble

“I am fortunate enough to be treated by the finest physicians in the world right here in Houston at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. It is my intention to beat cancer and have a full recovery and continue to represent the people of Texas. Thank you in advance for your thoughts and your prayers. The Good Lord will fix this, I believe,” he said.

Then Poe signed off with what has has become his signature sign-off when he finishes speaking on the House floor: “And that’s just the way it is.”